The journey continues... After a rigorous selection process, we are proud to unveil the Top 20 Startups advancing to the next round of the Value Creation Challenge 2026. These startups have demonstrated strong business potential, creative thinking, and a commitment to creating value in their respective sectors. Congratulations on reaching this important milestone. We also introduce the VCC6 Wild Card Startups. While these startups did not make it into the Top 20, they stood out for the exceptional potential they demonstrated throughout the selection process. As a result, they have earned a Wild Card opportunity to continue in the competition. The challenge now is theirs to prove that they belong among the best, and potentially secure a place in the coveted Top 12 Cohort of 2026. To all participating startups, thank you for your passion, resilience, and commitment to building solutions that matter. #VCC2026 #ValueCreationChallenge #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Top20 #WildCard

New week. New priorities. Maybe this is the week you’re chasing new customers, testing an idea or finally launching that thing you’ve been working on. Or maybe it’s the week for tightening your processes, solving a problem or getting something back on track. Whatever it is, it’s part of building. What’s on your list this week, growth, fixing, or a bit of both? #Eight2FiveHub #NewWeek #InnovationHub #TechHub #CoworkingHub #Harare

Running a business in Zimbabwe is __________. One word only. No explanations. No essays. Just the first word that comes to mind. We will start: Resilient. Your turn. 👇 #Eight2FiveHub #StartupGrowth #Startup #Entrepreneur #Zimbabwe #StartupEcosystem #OldMutualZw

Last Friday, the Value Creation Challenge 6 reached its final lap, bringing together the founders who made it to the Top 14, partners who have walked the journey with us, alumni, ecosystem leaders and distinguished guests for a day of pitches, recognition and celebration. The morning was all about the founders. Final pitches. One last opportunity to make the case for the ventures they’ve spent months refining. And by afternoon, the room was filled with people invested in seeing Zimbabwe’s next generation of ventures thrive, from Dr Joanne Abbot, Chargee d’affaires at the British Embassy, to Old Mutual GCEO Mr Samuel Matsekete and Hon. Minister Tinoda Machakaire of the Ministry of Youth, Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training. Their presence, alongside our partners and the wider ecosystem, was a powerful reminder of what happens when founders have the right people, platforms and support behind them. We celebrated the Top 14. We recognised the journeys behind them. We crowned our pillar winners and the VCC6 Overall Winner. But beyond the awards, the real win was seeing a room full of people committed to the future of Zimbabwean innovation. The finale may be over. The building continues. #VCC6 #ValueCreationChallenge #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Zimbabwe

To celebrate 10 years of TME Education, Eight2Five Innovation Hub is collaborating with TME Education to bring an exciting Robot Soccer Competition to Harare! 🤖⚽ Young innovators aged 8–19years are invited to design, build and control their own robots in an action-packed challenge. 📅 Saturday, 26 September 2026 ⏰ 09:00–17:00 📍 Eight2Five Innovation Hub 🎟️ $15 per team | Free for spectators Register now: forms.gle/dejhu1DQRtCSuAVr9 #TMEEducation10Years #Eight2Five #RobotSoccer #STEMEducation #Eight2FiveHub #OldMutualZW

Tomorrow, it's happening. At VCC Showcase Day, you will hear from people who understand what it takes to turn ideas into businesses, businesses into value, and value into impact. Consider this your first look of who will be in the space: Brett Hobson: Head of Revenue & Growth at Frampol Africa Prof Mandivamba Rukuni: Agricultural Economist & Policy Advisor Tino Kambasha: CEO of the National Venture Fund Dumisani Nomagugu Nkala: CEO of Telco And there is a lot more waiting for you, join us tomorrow at the Mutual Gardens, 10am. #VCC6 #VCCShowcaseDay2026 #ShowcaseDay #Exhibition #Startup #Entrepreneur

There is something different about learning when you get to build. Last weekend, we partnered with @TMEeducation to deliver a hands-on PCB Design Workshop for university students. The workshop was designed to bridge the gap between learning about electronics and actually building with it, giving students practical exposure to PCB design and the tools used to take a circuit from concept to a manufacturable board. For us, workshops like this are important because they give young people the opportunity to develop practical, industry-relevant skills, experiment with technology, and build with greater confidence. Here is a look at the day. #PCBDesign #KiCAD #Electronics #TMEducation #TechHub #HarareWorkshop #Eight2FiveHub #OldMutualZw

SAVE THE DATE. THEN COME READY TO EXPLORE. 4 days until VCC Showcase Day, an exhibition of businesses, products, and services worth knowing. You don’t want to miss this. Wednesday, 2 September | Mutual Gardens | 10:00 Hours #VCC6 #ShowcaseDay2026 #VCCShowCaseDay2026 #Eight2FiveHub

The final stretch is here. As we count down to the VCC6 finale, meet the industry leaders who will take on the tough task of judging our finalists; bringing expertise, experience and fresh perspectives to the table. 14 startups. One final stage. The next chapter starts here 🚀 #VCC6 #ValueCreationChallenge #OldMutual #Entrepreneurship #ZimbabweInnovation #Eight2FiveHub

What a week it has been at ZAS 2026. Since Monday, we have watched our VCC Alumni connect with people, exchange ideas, learn from the conversations happening around them and, most importantly, see firsthand the opportunities and challenges within Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector. And there’s still more to come. As we head into the final stretch of ZAS, we are looking forward to more conversations, more connections and more opportunities for our entrepreneurs to learn, engage and grow. See you at the @OldMutualZW stand. #ZAS2026 #ZimbabweAgricShow2026 #SmartAgriculture #Sustainability #TechHub #InnovationHub #Eight2FiveHub #OldMutualZw

We are at the Old Mutual Stand this week! We are bringing some of Zimbabwe’s exciting startups to the Harare Agricultural Show, and we want you to come find us. Think you can spot us? Locate the Old Mutual Stand, take a photo or video, post it on your social media and tag us. You could stand a chance to win! Come through, meet the startups, discover what they are building and join us at the show. 📍 Harare Agricultural Show, Old Mutual Stand 📅 This week Find us. Post it. Win it. #ZAS2026 #HarareAgriculturalShow2026 #HarareAgricShow2026 #VCCAlumni #Harare #Eight2FiveHub #OldMutualZw

Growing beyond borders starts with building a stronger business. This week, Trade & Grow Beyond Borders brings you two practical online sessions to help you do exactly that: Thursday, 27 August — Leading People Through Change. Because growth means managing people, change and new demands. Register here or scan QR code: gotrade.dhl.com/sessions/311… Friday, 28 August — Finance Basics. Because you can’t scale confidently without understanding your numbers. Register here or scan QR code: gotrade.dhl.com/sessions/4d2… If you are serious about growing your business, do not miss these sessions. #DHL #DHLAfrica #OldMutual #TradeandGrowBeyondBorders #TradeandGrow #GoTrade #Eight2FiveHub

We are heading to the Harare Agricultural Show! Next week, we will be at the Harare Agricultural Show alongside an exciting group of startups: • @onanaturaloils_ • InnoFuzz Ventures • Nezox Brands • Wenashe Farms Come through, meet the founders, explore what they are building and experience the energy of Zimbabwe’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. 📍 Old Mutual Stand | Harare Showgrounds 📅 24-29August 2026 Let’s go! See you there. #ZAS2026 #HarareAgricShow #SmartFarming #Agriculture #SmartAgriculture #Agribusiness #Zimbabwe #OldMutualZw

New date. Same big showcase. VCC Showcase Day is now happening on Wednesday, 2 September 2026 at Mutual Gardens. Come experience an outdoor expo bringing together startups, founders, innovators, investors, partners and industry leaders, and get a closer look at what’s being built across Zimbabwe’s innovation ecosystem. Date: Wednesday, 2 September 2026 Venue: Mutual Gardens Time: 10:00 hrs - 15:30 hrs Mark your calendar, see you there! #VCC6 #VCCShowcaseDay #Eight2FiveHub #Innovation #TechHub

Your electronics project doesn’t have to stop at the breadboard. Learn how to turn a circuit concept into a manufacturing-ready PCB at our hands-on PCB Design Workshop. Using KiCad, you’ll work through the actual PCB design process, from schematic and component selection to layout, routing, DRC and Gerber generation. This workshop is for university students. 🎟️ $10 | Lunch included 🕙 10:00hrs-16:00hrs Come ready to learn, design and build. Register now: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F… #PCBDesign #KiCAD #Electronics #TMEducation #TechHub

The VCC Showcase Day is back! And you don’t want to miss it. On 5 September, Mutual Gardens becomes a showcase of Zimbabwean innovation as VCC Showcase Day brings startups, alumni, founders, investors, partners and industry leaders together for an outdoor expo. 24 startups. 4 pillars. One day to discover, connect, and engage. From Emerging Industries and Innovative Tech to Sustainability and Creative Industries, discover products, services and solutions being built by the next generation of Zimbabwean businesses. VCC alumni will also be exhibiting, bringing even more businesses, products and experiences to the showcase. Come with curiosity, meet the people behind the ideas, explore what they are building and make new connections. Date: 5 September 2026 Venue: Mutual Gardens Time: 10:00 AM See you there. Register now: forms.gle/oCemu3mqtv3SdjQ48 #VCC6 #VCCShowcaseDay #Eight2FiveHub #ZimbabweanInnovation #Startup #Entrepreneur #TechHub #OldMutualZw

Yesterday at Beta Space, we put Bako Emergency Tech in front of a room of users and let them explore the platform for themselves. No walkthrough telling them where to click. No leading them towards what they should notice. Just the product, the experience and the space to ask questions and share what stood out. The result was a mix of technical observations, usability feedback and real-world perspectives that the Bako team can take back into the product. That’s the value of Beta Space, creating a space where founders can test with real people, listen closely and learn from what users actually experience. Here are a few moments from yesterday’s session. 👇🏾 #BetaSpace #ProductTesting #UserFeedback #Innovation #Eight2FiveHub #BakoEmergency

Happy International Youth Day! 🌍 As we commemorate International Youth Day under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” we are celebrating the young people turning their ideas, skills and ambitions into ventures that solve real problems. Today, we kick off our Show Us Your Hustle Startup Spotlight series with Verdian AG. Verdian Ag is an AI-powered agricultural risk intelligence company helping financial institutions finance smallholder farmers with greater confidence. Their solutions include: • Credit Confidence Profiles (CCPs) • Verdian Risk Intelligence Platform • AI Agricultural Copilot • WhatsApp AI Agronomist Congratulations to the Verdian Ag team! Show them some support in the comments, and stay tuned as we continue spotlighting entrepreneurs from our Show Us Your Hustle campaign. Disclaimer: This feature is part of our Show Us Your Hustle campaign and is intended to celebrate entrepreneurs in our community. A spotlight does not constitute an endorsement, investment, or partnership by Eight2Five Innovation Hub. #ShowUsYoHustle #Eight2FiveHub #StartupSpotlight #Entrepreneur #Startup #VerdianAG #OldMutualZw

Lest we forget. Today, we remember those who gave so much for the nation we call home. Today, we honour those whose courage and sacrifice paved the way for the generations that followed. May we remember their contribution, honour their legacy and carry the responsibility of building forward. Happy Heroes’ Day 🇿🇼 #HeroesDay2026 #HeroesDayZimbabwe2026 #Eight2FiveHub #OldMutualZw

Hopefully, you will never need an emergency app. But if you did… what would you expect it to do? Next Thursday, we are inviting you to test Bako Emergency Technology and tell the founders exactly that. Your feedback will help shape a platform designed to connect people with emergency responders and their communities when it matters most. Come try it at Beta Space before everyone else. Sign up now: forms.gle/LyckCX7Dgjo8XpA79 #BakoEmergencyServices #Eight2FiveHub #Zimbabwe #EmergencyServicesZimbabwe #BetaTesting #BetaSpace #OldMutualZw

Bulawayo, are you ready? The Trade & Grow Beyond Borders programme is coming to your city. If you are a startup or SME looking to expand into regional and international markets, this certified programme is designed to equip you with practical knowledge to help you grow beyond borders. Topics include: • E-Commerce • The Art of Logistics • International Trade • International Contracts & Conventions • Navigating Customs • Compliance & Cyber Security Dates: 14–15 August 2026 Time: 08:00–15:30 CAT Venue: 2nd Floor, Old Mutual Centre, Corner 8th Avenue/Jason Moyo Street, Bulawayo Certificates will be awarded to SMEs who fully participate in all compulsory sessions. Scan the QR code or use the following link to register and secure your place: gotrade.dhl.com/auth/login?r… Trade & Grow Beyond Borders is brought to you by @DHLAfrica, GoTrade, @OldMutualZW, and Eight2Five Innovation Hub. #TradeandGrowBeyondBorders #TradeandGrow #GoTrade #DHL #Startup #Entrepreneur #Zimbabwe #Bulawayo #OldMutual #Eight2FiveHub